The present invention relates generally to farm implements and, more particularly, to tillage implements.
One of the challenges constantly faced by farming and construction implement manufacturers is increasing the wear or usable life of working tools. Many of the soils in which such tools are used can be highly abrasive. In the context of farming implements, ground-engaging tools, which may include plow points, sweeps, shovels, knives, coulters, opener disks and other disks, and tines, depending on the type of implement, can experience substantial abrasive wear during use because the tools are continuously dragged through or across soil for long periods of time. Replacing tools that are abrasively worn out can be costly. As an example, for a tillage implement, as much as five percent of the implement's costs can be spent replacing tillage points each year.
Addressing the issue of premature wear on such ground-engaging tools has typically involved two approaches. In the first approach, design efforts have been made to improve how the tools are pulled through soil. In other words, improving wear life of the tool by changing the shape or geometry of the tool. The other approach has been to focus on the physical makeup of the tool, such as hard-facing which typically includes building up thicknesses at high wear areas with welding to deposit material that typically includes granular hard materials encapsulated in the weldment, which typically provides irregular surfaces to such tools at the high wear areas.